Gül defends NATO missile radar system

Written By THA on Friday, 18 May 2012 | 23:41

The TPY-2 radar system in Kürecik cost around $150 million to 200 million.

Turkey’s decision to host a missile defense radar in eastern Anatolia demonstrates its commitment to NATO, President Abdullah Gül said May 18 en route to Chicago for the alliance summit while outlining Ankara’s plans for the conference.

“Turkey will make an active contribution to the decisions to be taken at the Chicago Summit,” Gül told reporters. “We will declare a missile defense capability which aims to eliminate the risks and threats of the proliferation of ballistic missiles,” he said, adding that the heads of state and government of 60 countries, as well as the 28 NATO members, would attend the Chicago conference.

During his stay in the United States, Gül will also meet with Turkish expatriates, visit Silicon Valley, participate in a conference on leadership at Stanford University and speak at think tanks.

NATO will also discuss the future after the end of the International Security Assistance Fund’s (ISAF) operation in Afghanistan in 2014, Gül said, adding that the countries supporting the operations of the alliance in the country would meet on the sidelines of the summit.

The president said he would meet the chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies and attend a conference on Turkey’s economy and foreign policy priorities during his U.S. trip. (ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News)